What's on at the London Canal Museum

Walks, talks, boat trips, and more

There is plenty going on at London Canal Museum. We have regular
monthly illustrated talks in the evening, aimed at adults with an interest in
industrial heritage and canals. We have a programme of towpath walks in spring
summer and autumn, and summer boat trips through the long Islington Tunnel on
certain dates. Each summer we welcome the Mikron Theatre Company for theatrical
performances and we have occasional special days of activities for families or
adults. We also occasionally offer roses and castles painting courses, and
other events.

Illustrated Talks

Illustrated talks are held at 7.30 pm, on the first Thursday of each
month except August. Most speakers illustrate their presentations with
photographs. The museum is open 1000 to 1930 on the first Thursday of each
month. Admission to talks and museum is charged at the
usual museum admission charges. The
programme is given below. In the event of any last minute changes to lectures
or other events the site will be updated if sufficient notice is
available.

Events coming soon

You need javascript for this part of the page but all events are also
included in the full list of events that follows.

March 2015

5th March

Illustrated talk; The
Buckingham Canal - Past Present and Future by Terry Cavender. The
Buckingham Canal Society has been working hard to raise the profile of its
restoration project. They have made considerable progress on the ground. The
society's Trustee and Programme Manager will detail their work.

April 2015

1st April

Activity Day for Children: Watery
Wednesdays. Bringing the canals to life this Easter Come and have a go at
some wildlife craft activities, take a ride on a boat and look for birds.
Children can have their faces painted - all for only £4 per child!
Sessions 1030 and 1330.

2nd April

Illustrated talk: The
River Beat. by Robert Jefferies. Bob will tell us about the origins and
history of England's first police force. This organisation was the precursor to
the modern Metropolitan Police force. The River Division today is
responsible for policing the tidal Thames and operates from its HQ on the river
Thames at Wapping, where a small museum has been created by volunteers. Bob is
the Curator.

8th April

Activity Day for Children: Watery
Wednesdays. Bringing the canals to life this Easter Come and have a go at
some wildlife craft activities, take a ride on a boat and look for birds.
Children can have their faces painted - all for only £4 per child!
Sessions 1030 and 1330.

May 2015

7th May

Illustrated talk: The PLA
in the 21st century- opportunities and challenges by James Trimmer. The new
London gateway port, capable of dealing with the new super container ships,
will bring new traffic to the port. Likewise many construction projects in
London offer new traffic opportunities.

10th May

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details. Today's trips
are wheelchair accessible

16th May

Museums at Night.
Programme to be announced.

24th May

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details.

June 2015

4th June

Illustrated Talk: Fenland
Waterways by Alan Faulkner. The remarkable network of waterways that drain
into the Wash are very much under-rated and little is published on them. Alan
Faulkner, the long serving Secretary of the East Anglian Waterways Association,
will aim to fill that knowledge gap.

14th June

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details. Today's trips
are wheelchair accessible

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details.

July 2015

Illustrated talk: Boating
Families in the 1940s and 1950s by Roger Wickson. Roger met many of these
families and his fully illustrated talk recounts his knowledge of their way of
life.

12th July

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details. Today's trips
are wheelchair accessible.

19th July

Ice Sunday. A rare
opportunity for fit adults and older teenagers to descend into the ice wells on
a guided tour, with an explanation of their history by a museum guide.

26th July

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details.

August 2015

6th August

Leaving at 1930, a guided
towpath walk from the museum to Camden Town along the
Regent's Canal towpath.

9th August

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details.

23rd August

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details.

September 2015

3rd September

Illustrated talk:
Conserving our Waterway Heritage. by Nigel Crowe. Nigel is the
Conservation Adviser to the Canal and River Trust. He undertook a comprehensive
survey of the heritage of the waterways when first appointed, and now advises
the CRT on its protection .

13th September

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details. Today's trips
are wheelchair accessible.

27th September

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details.

October 2015

1st October

Illustrated talk The
Canal and River Trust by John Dodwell. Founding trustee and long standing
waterways enthusiast John Dodwell will detail the Trust's progress to date. He
will explain the issues they face and the constraints under which they work.

11th October

Tunnel Boat Trips
through the Islington canal tunnel. The tunnel is around three quarters of a
mile long and it was opened in 1820. Our trips are led by a guide from the
museum who will explain the history of the tunnel as you cruise through it.
Price £8.40 adult, £6.00 child, including museum admission. It is
very strongly reccommended to
book online in
advance, as places on the boats are limited. Departures are at 1100, 1200,
1400, 1500 and 1600 and the trip takes about 50 minutes. See
tunnel trips page for full details.

November 2015

5th November

Illustrated talk: The
work of the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust by Gavin Redknap. Gavin was one
of the founders of the trust that is working to save and restore some of the
few surviving craft built at the Thames Ironworks Yard at the mouth of Bow
Creek. The Trust plans to use the fleet of restored one-hundred-year-old
lifeboats for community projects on the Lower Lee.

December 2015

3rd December 2015

Illustrated talk: The
River Thames Society and the River Thames by Peter Finch. Peter, who is
Chairman of the River Thames Society, will explain the role and function of the
society and then go on to talk about London's river and some of the issues it
faces.

January 2016

7th January

Illustrated talk:
Leonardo's Waterways by Dr. Roger Squires. The history and development
of the early waterway network of Milan and Pavia, coupled with a review of the
waterways today and plans for their future.

February 2016

4th February

Illustrated talk:
Industry in the Lee Valley by Jim Lewis. How the Lee Navigation and the
River Lea facilitated the development and growth of the industries of the Lea
Valley.

March 2016

3rd March

Illustrated talk: The
Glamorganshire Canal by Stephen Rowson. This waterway was built by Thomas
Dadford and son to link the iron works of Merthyr Tydfil to the port of
Cardiff. It followed the valley of the River Taff. Tramroads provided important
feeders to the canal which rapidly gained traffic and trade. However, with the
arrival of the Taff Valley railway in 1859 competition led to a decline. Mining
subsidence in the upper reaches closed that section in 1898, and the lower line
was finally abandoned in 1943.

April 2016

4th April

Illustrated talk: The
Stratford Canal. by Clive Henderson. The history and development of the
Stratford Canal and the battles that were fought to save it from dereliction.
The talk will also illustrate its rebirth as a major cruising route.

May 2016

5th May

Illustrated talk: The
Lancaster Canal. by Robert Philpotts A resume of the way in which the early
canal builders brought the Lancaster Canal to life. Robert looks back on his
early studies of the canal which were the focus of his first book.

June 2016

2nd June

Illustrated talk: Cutting
Edge. by Lester Hillman. Two centuries ago the Regent's Canal Company was
rocked by a major fraud as construction was under way. Lester Hillman explores
the financial drama of 1815 and beyond, uncovering thieving, scandals and
colourful hoaxes on the way.

July 2016

7th July

Illustrated talk: Details to
be announced.

August 2016

September 2016

1st September

Illustrated talk: Details to
be announced.

October 2016

6th October

Illustrated talk: Details to
be announced.

November 2016

3rd November

Illustrated talk: Details to
be announced.

December 2016

Temporary Exhibitions

Until 12th April 2015 Waterways on the Western
Front. Canals played a vital role in support of the British Army during the
First World War in Belgium. British-made barges were used for hospitals, water
purification, and transport. This exhibition from the museum's own exhibition
team tells an untold story of the much-related conflict.